


Our Train of Spring Memories

by The_Hydraulic_Press



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Crushes, Eventual relationship, Fluff, Honorifics (cuz I’m a weeb), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, formatting is trash™
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-07 09:32:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14668248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Hydraulic_Press/pseuds/The_Hydraulic_Press
Summary: “Saihara stood surrounded by cherry blossoms which are said to symbolize new beginnings, something he wholeheartedly longed for. He desperately needed a change and was almost certain that Hope’s Peak would at the very least provide him with that. He used that fact to console himself.”





	1. Weight On My Shoulder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooohhh boy. This is gonna be a long one. Rip sleep. Also the title sucks but what can you do.
> 
> Just for clarification, the uniforms worn by the characters in this fic are the same ones from the Danganronpa 3 anime.

Early Monday morning. Saihara Shuuichi stretched out his arm to turn off his phone’s ear piercing alarm before slowly opening his eyes, his gaze meeting a familiar, beige ceiling. It took him a few moments to gather his hazy thoughts. It was only when he glanced at a nearby wall calendar that everything finally came together.

Today just so happened to be April 10th, the beginning of a new school year and his life at a new high school. That was the truth that a part of him tried to forget.

*

Hope’s Peak Academy, the most prestigious school in the country, a place that nurtured and researched talent. It’s said that everyone who graduates there is pretty much guaranteed success in life. All its students were scouted by the school itself due to possessing extraordinary talents. Most people would be thrilled to be accepted into such an elite school. Saihara was the exception. 

He felt like he didn’t live up to his title of the Ultimate Detective, which he was given after solving a murder case before the police did. However, Saihara believes that this was accomplished by coincidence and luck, and that he doesn’t deserve the honor of an Ultimate title. He even wanted to reject Hope’s Peak’s offer but was ultimately forced to go by his parents.

Needless to say, he was not looking forward to today.

*

Saihara Shuuichi was always the introverted, socially awkward type. That was obvious to anyone who even looked at him. He didn’t however, use to fear and avoid people to the point of not even being able to look them in the eyes, until recently, that is.

Not too long ago, and seemingly out of nowhere, Saihara shut himself away from everyone around him and even began wearing a hat as to avoid eye contact. Ever since, It was almost as if he was in a completely separate world, unreachable to other people. Surrounded only by his thoughts.

Not even those closest to him knew the reason behind this and frankly, they didn’t particularly care, with the exception of his uncle with whom he lived and often helped with his detective work. It was a job Saihara wasn’t fond of but did without question and fully expected to continue in the future and someday inevitably take his uncle’s place, despite having very little confidence in his skills as a detective and feeling greatly inferior to his uncle.

*

Saihara forced himself to get out of bed, crawling from under the covers and getting to his feet. He put on his new school uniform and went to the bathroom. The still sleepy boy splashed his face with water as a means of waking up and refreshing him and looked up at his reflection in the mirror. His expression was blank and his eyes were completely devoid of life with dark circles under them. He lazily fixed up his usually tidy blue hair.

Saihara silently left the bathroom, quickly grabbed the book bag from his room and walked out the front door of the small house after putting on his shoes, turning around only to say goodbye to his uncle.

He completely skipped breakfast, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

Luckily, his uncle’s house was close to the train station so it didn’t take him a long time to get there. He couldn’t help but think about his life up to this point while he waited for the train to arrive. However, that only worsened his mood.

Saihara stood surrounded by cherry blossoms which are said to symbolize new beginnings, something he wholeheartedly longed for. He desperately needed a change and was almost certain that Hope’s Peak would at the very least provide him with that. He used that fact to console himself.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the train nearing and stopping in front of him moments later. The door opened and he walked in along with a crowd of people already shoving each other.

He was somehow able to grab a seat, and by a window, no less. _Maybe this would be his lucky day after all._ All though the thought was half joking, it was a subconscious attempt to give himself a bit of hope.

He immediately positioned himself in a way so he’s facing the window. He didn’t bother to turn around when someone took the seat next to his.

He did, however, finally decide to risk a glance when he felt sudden weight on his right shoulder after a few minutes of the ride.

The detective was more than surprised to see a small, purple haired boy carelessly leaning on him. Upon a closer look, he noticed that he was asleep.

Saihara would’ve thought that the boy was a middle schooler if it weren’t for the brown uniform that so obviously matched his own. He looked so peaceful, almost angelic.

He continued to stare at him in stunned silence, confused and at a complete loss for what to do. He could easily push off someone so small if he wanted to. For whatever reason, he decided not to.

The feeling of soft locks against his neck made his face heat up so he instinctively turned his back towards the boy, facing the window once again and pulled his hat down as if to hide his face from the sleeping stranger. He internally facepalmed at the realization.

He stayed frozen, confused and flustered for a while until he noticed that the train was nearing his stop.

Since he had already concluded that the small statured boy went to the same school as him, he knew it would be bad if he stayed asleep and missed the stop.

It was obvious what he should do and yet he still tried coming up with an excuse to somehow avoid this interaction, but, to no success. He had to wake him up. 

The anxiety was already getting to him. Saihara reluctantly faced his sleeping schoolmate. After a few moments of mental preparation, he mustered up the courage and carefully placed his shaking hand on the strange boy’s shoulder.

“...”

“...Wake up...” He mumbled while looking at his shoes.

No response.

“Um...please?”

“Please, wake up.”

Nothing.

“Wake up.” He nudged him lightly and repeated louder and with a bit more confidence.

He received a soft whine at which his hand flinched and heart almost skipped a beat.

At this point, Saihara really wanted to give up, but somehow convinced himself not to. 

He started desperately shaking the boy while repeatedly telling him to wake up in as loud of a voice as he could, considering he didn’t want to disturb anyone.

Finally, the weight on his shoulder faded away as the purple haired stranger slowly lifted his head and looked up at his taller schoolmate who he had just used as a pillow.

Saihara was once again left speechless when a pair of purple eyes that were nothing short of beautiful met his own, golden ones. They stood out even more against his pale skin and matched perfectly with the curious shade of his hair.

He briefly wondered how could someone look like this right after waking up, but smothered the thought.

The now awake boy was wearing an expression completely unreadable to Saihara on his face. He lazily rubbed the sleepy from his eyes, looked at the stranger once again and blinked a few times before tilting his head slightly in expected confusion.

The simple gesture made the taller painfully aware of the situation.   
He quickly scooted back in his seat, clearly embarrassed. The shorter grinned mischievously at his reaction.

Saihara had to say something to break the awkward silence. He took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts before explaining in a quiet and steady voice.

“You go to Hope’s Peak Academy, right? I... just assumed because of your uniform. I thought I should wake you up, so you wouldn’t miss your stop... Sorry.” He wasn’t quite sure why he was apologizing, but he did so anyway.

The other didn’t provide a response, nor a change in expression so Saihara hurriedly continued.

“O-oh I’m Saihara Shuuichi.” He finally gave the long overdue introduction.

Just as he said that, a loud mechanical sound was heard. He looked over to see the door to the train wide open and a crowd of people consisting mostly of high schoolers already rushing out.

Suddenly, the boy with purple locks stood up, his back turned towards Saihara, who was now able to get a somewhat better look at him. He was skinny, clearly underweight and even shorter than he had originally thought. In his hand was an otherwise plain book bag with a bright purple grape strap attached to it.

It was then that the boy finally spoke.

“Thank you for being my pillow, Saihara-chan, but you didn’t wake me up. I was awake the whole time!” His voice was childish, teasing. In a weird way, it perfectly matched his appearance.

He glanced behind him to get a good look at Saihara’s dumbfounded expression, grinning devilishly all the while. 

“By the way, I’m Ouma Kokichi. Nice to meet you!”

_Ah._   
_Finally, a name._

Ouma Kokichi then hurried towards the exit, disappearing into the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boys are so precious-
> 
> So this is the first fic i'm posting and my anxiety is through the roof.  
> Please give me any criticism you might have. Keep in mind that english isn’t my native language.
> 
> The next chapter should be up by Sunday.


	2. The Leader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Before long, the detective found himself in front of the school gate. It was large and grandiose, befitting of such a prestigious place. After passing through it, he walked through the courtyard and up to the front door. He stopped for a moment._
> 
>  
> 
> _This was it. The door to Hope’s Peak Academy. The door to his new life, to his future. He took a step forward.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a day late with this chapter oops

Numerous students of Hope’s Peak Academy, the symbols of hope known as Ultimates, all thinking about the bright futures ahead of them while they walked towards the place where they would spend the upcoming school year. And among them, Saihara Shuuichi, the Ultimate detective.

On his mind, however, was the rather unusual meeting with Ouma Kokichi, which he replayed in his head, again and again, trying to recall every moment of the strange encounter, searching for answers. One question in particular kept bugging him.

_Was Ouma really just pretending to be asleep?_

Saihara’s face reddened at the memory of the embarrassing scene. He could almost hear the mischievousness in the purple haired boy’s voice in his head, almost as if he was reliving the moment all over again.

_Why would he do that? Was it only to mess with him?_

Okay, there was more than one question bugging him.

He eventually concluded that there was no use thinking about it now and decided to hurry to school. It would be bad if he arrived late on his first day, after all. He wanted to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to himself. The boy let out a sigh and quickened his pace after glancing at the train station one more time.

*

Before long, the detective found himself in front of the school gate. It was large and grandiose, befitting of such a prestigious place. After passing through it, he walked through the courtyard and up to the front door. He stopped for a moment.

This was it. The door to Hope’s Peak Academy. The door to his new life, to his future. _Gulp._ He took a step forward.

The halls were more or less what you’d expect them to be. However, they were much cleaner than in presumably most schools. This was, of course, not a surprise for an esteemed school like this one. There were many flyers on the walls, all guiding the students to the gymnasium, where the entrance ceremony would be held.

*

The gym was spacious and had many chairs arranged for the students to sit on. Saihara took the nearest unoccupied seat and began looking around the room. As expected, he didn’t notice any familiar faces. A few staff members could be seen standing next to the door and the stage, but none of them particularly stood out.

Quiet chatter filled the gym but completely died once the sound of the door opening was heard, causing everyone present to look in that direction to see the principal enter the room. The man climbed onto the stage and walked up to the podium, leaning slightly towards the microphone before beginning to speak.

The speech he gave was a blur to the normally attentive Saihara, who, for whatever reason, had trouble focusing on what the principal was saying. He just assumed it to be regular entrance ceremony stuff he’s heard before.

Once the principal had finished speaking, the students were separated into predetermined classes and escorted to their respective classrooms by their homeroom teachers. Saihara was put in class 79-B and in charge of it was a female PE teacher with short, brown hair, wearing a red tracksuit.

Once they arrived in the classroom, the students were instructed to take a seat. To Saihara’s surprise, everyone was quick to not only sit next to but also start a conversation with a complete stranger. Meanwhile, he was still standing next to the door, struggling to pick a seat. He looked over the classroom, taking note of the more... peculiar looking people. It was then that he witnessed it.

In the first row, right in front of him, sat none other than Ouma Kokichi, the mysterious yet devilish boy he met not even a full hour ago. The sight made Saihara all but gasp out loud. And then, the dreaded happened. Their eyes met.

_Shit._

After a moment of awkward eye contact that felt like hours to the flustered detective, Ouma flashed a smile and gestured to the seat next to his, inviting Saihara to sit. It wasn’t his usual, malicious grin, but instead, a pleasant smile, resonating with childlike innocence.

Feeling trapped, Saihara reluctantly approached the desk next to the purple haired boy’s, pulled out the chair and sat down. Despite wanting to avoid interacting with Ouma, Saihara didn’t want it to seem like he was ignoring him. He decided that a greeting was in order.

“Hello.” Although he mustered the courage to speak, he couldn’t force himself to look Ouma directly in the eye, using his hat to cut off the upper half of the other’s face from view.

“Hi there, Saihara-chan!” The response was immediate and joyous. The boy then showed him another bright smile before turning away.

Neither of them said anything after that, which made the situation awkward once again. Saihara was grateful for the chatter of the other students, as it was preventing the room from being completely silent, although he still felt greatly uncomfortable.

Thankfully, the teacher came to his rescue. Well, sort of.

“Alright, so since I’ve already introduced myself, how about you guys do the same?”

It came as no surprise to Saihara that he had completely missed the teacher’s name. Hopefully, he won’t need to call for her anytime soon.

He’d be lying if he said he was thrilled to introduce himself to the class. He was, however, interested in learning everyone’s names and talents since that would give him a chance to hear _his_ talent and seeing as they were going in the order they were sitting in, _he_ was the first one to go.

“I’m Ouma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!” He said that in this... boastful, self-important way. He was clearly proud of his Ultimate title, which was something Saihara couldn’t really say about himself.

He didn’t have time to think about the strangeness of Ouma’s talent, as it was now his turn to introduce himself.

He stood up, pulling his hat down slightly.

“I’m... Saihara Shuuichi, the Ultimate Detective.” In truth, he didn’t really consider himself the Ultimate Detective, however, he didn’t want to waste everyone’s time by explaining how he’s just an apprentice.

He sat down once again and the focus moved onto the next student. He decided that he should at least _try_ to listen and pay attention.

*

Ultimate Pianist, Ultimate Entomologist, Ultimate Magician... Anthropologist, Maid, Artist, Astronaut...

All kinds of talents were mentioned, some arguably more interesting than others. And just as Saihara began to think about the bizarreness of the Ultimate Robot, his thoughts were interrupted by an abrupt flashback.

For whatever reason, he suddenly remembered the train ride from this morning. Maybe because Ouma was sitting next to him? He could practically feel him on his shoulder. In fact, he _could_ feel it. There was definite weight on his right shoulder.

He hesitantly turned his head towards Ouma, and sure enough, saw the boy leaning on him once again. Unlike before, however, his eyes weren’t closed, they were wide open and looking up at the already blushing Saihara. All the while, the smaller was grinning. And this time, it was the same devious grin he showed on the train.

“O-Ouma-kun!”

It took Saihara everything he had not to jerk up from his seat. 

“P-please move!” He whispered, trying to get him to move by nudging him with his elbow.

No use.

Every time Saihara pushed him off (careful not to use too much force, of course), the boy just went back to his original position.

He had no choice. He had to endure it until the end of class and pray that the teacher or anyone else doesn’t see them. They _were_ in the front row of the classroom, after all.

His hands were sweaty and his face must’ve been bright red. It felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest. The thought of Ouma hearing it terrified him.

Thankfully, classes were shortened that day due to it being the first day of school so it didn’t take long for the bell to ring. And when it did, significant weight was lifted off Saihara’s chest, or rather, his shoulder.

The leader lifted his head without a word or even a glance. It was then that he stood up to leave, however, Saihara was quick to grab his wrist, stopping him. He instantly regretted his decision but didn’t let go regardless. He needed answers.

“Why do you keep doing that?!” He got straight to the point, surprising even himself with the intensity of his own voice.

“Because I like you, of course!” Saihara felt his face heat up upon hearing the response.

“Y-you do?”

“That might be a lie though! I am a liar, after all.”

Ouma then turned his head, finally facing the other.

“Huh? That was... a lie?”

“Nishishi. Who knows?”

This left Saihara dumbfounded. Speechless and not knowing what else to do, he let go of Ouma, who then ran out of the classroom, along with some of the other students, presumably going to check out the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Saihara.
> 
> This chapter might be kind of boring, but things should pick up soon. Future chapters will have more dialogue.
> 
> Also also  
> I’m not sure when the next chapter will be up since i’m busy with finals and + i’m getting ready for a competition sooo sorry in advance


	3. A Faint Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _”As a student, Saihara was always near the top of his class. While he preferred subjects like math, biology, chemistry and physics, he wasn’t bad at languages or artistic subjects either. He was smart, talented and a fast learner, but also a hard worker. All in all, he was a nearly perfect student who excelled in every subject... except PE.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long.

Left confused and utterly baffled by Ouma, Saihara could only stare ahead as the other students exited the classroom one by one. But he wasn’t really looking at anything. He was thinking, thinking as hard as he could. Analyzing everything that the malicious leader said to him during both of their meetings, trying to make sense of his words.

It was hard to focus, however, with Ouma’s supposed confession making his face redden and hands begin to tremble. He wanted to get answers from the boy but was only left with more questions in the end. Ouma Kokichi was still a complete enigma.

He let out a long sigh. For now, he should look around the school.

In reality, there was no reason why he _should_ do that, it just felt like only thing he _could_ do at the moment. It’s not like he had any friends to talk to or a packed lunch to eat. Come to think of it, he should try to find the school cafeteria and get something to eat, since he was starting to get a bit hungry. Hope’s Peak was sure to have a good selection of food.

And so, he walked out of the classroom and started wandering around. Anyone else would’ve simply asked a teacher for directions, but Saihara was too awkward to ever approach a stranger like that, even if guiding the students was a part of their job. He was the type of person who would rather search the entire store to find a specific item than ask the clerk for help. Since the classroom was located on the first floor of the school, he began looking around there first and luckily, soon stumbled across the cafeteria.

Upon entering, he immediately saw numerous students sitting at the tables in the dining hall, talking to each other like they were best friends. Looking down, he hurriedly walked towards a door in the back of the room. Inside stood several students with trays in their hands, lined up in front of a huge table with all kinds of food and ingredients on it. The first person in line approached the table, quickly grabbed some food and moved along, letting the next person do the same.

Saihara grabbed a tray, plate, small bowl and eating utensils from a nearby trolley and got in line. Before he knew it, he was the one standing in front of the table. 

Meat, fruit, vegetables, confectionery…. Everything looked great. It was nothing like his previous school. This food was clearly made by professionals and with top quality ingredients. There was so much to choose from too. Overall, it seemed less like a school and more like a five-star restaurant. To avoid experimenting and wasting everyone’s time more than he already has, he simply went with the most obvious option, miso soup and a bowl of rice. A boring choice, but a safe one.

Tray in hand, Sahara went back to the dining hall. Not wanting to sit with total strangers, he walked over to the only free table left and sat down. He then finally tried the soup. It was burning hot, but nothing short of delicious. Well, it’s not surprising that Hope’s Peak would have access the best chefs out there. Perhaps the food was even made by an Ultimate student? With that on his mind, he brought the spoon to his lips once again, blowing on it beforehand to cool the soup off.

He knew that he must look like a complete loser, eating alone like this while everyone else was talking, making friends and having fun, and on the first day, no less. Yes, it was the first day of school and he was already an outcast. But that was nothing new. It was just the way his life was, how it has been for a while now. And he _hated_ it. He hated that he has gotten used to this kind of life. He hated how he could barely even talk to people anymore. He hated how he couldn’t look them in the eyes. He hated being a burden, a coward.

Saihara Shuuichi hated himself.

That was something he always knew and was constantly reminded of. He wanted to forget. He wanted to forget that he was alone, pathetic and miserable. But he couldn’t. He tried to lie to himself and pretend that he didn’t need anyone to help him, but he did. He needed someone to _save_ him.

...

Not good. He was shaking and on the verge of tears. He let his thoughts get to him again. He needed some kind of distraction.

Suddenly, another tray found itself on the table. The person who placed it then pulled out a chair and sat across from the detective. Saihara looked up to see a face that didn’t belong to a stranger, but to his mischievous and well familiar classmate, Ouma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader. He looked happy to see him, and this time, their feelings were mutual.

For a few moments, neither of them said anything, they just silently stared into each other’s eyes... And that’s when Saihara realized it. He could finally look Ouma in the _eyes_. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Aside from his uncle, there wasn’t a single person he could maintain eye contact with, and yet...

He didn’t have time to think about this new-found truth, as that was when the leader spoke, ending the almost magical moment.

“Hmm... Saihara-chan looks so captivated by me... Are you in looove?”

Captivated. That’s right. Saihara was _captivated_ by Ouma. Infatuated by his mysteriousness, childlike attitude, and even just his presence.

Flustered by the shorter’s question, it took the detective everything he had not to look away again. He settled with pulling his hat down in an attempt to hide the blush appearing on his face.

“I’m just... intrigued is all. There’s still much about you that I don’t know, after all.” He spoke slowly, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

“Ooh, am I gonna get interrogated again?”

“Well, there are some things I’ve been meaning to ask, if you don’t mind, that is.”

“Ask away, Mr. Detective!”

Mr. Detective? Oh well...

Saihara went over everything he was about to say in his head before saying it out loud.

“First off, I’m not exactly in the clear about your talent. What does a 'Supreme Leader' do exactly?”

“Ah, well, you see... I’m the leader of an evil secret organization with over 10,000 members!”

Saihara didn’t expect to be at a loss for words so soon in the conversation. His eyes were widened and mouth was agape. Thankfully, an idea soon came to him.

“Could that be... a lie?” His voice was even meeker than before as he proposed the possibility.

“Nishishi... You know me so well.”

“So it *was* a—“ He didn’t get to finish his sentence.

“But I was definitely telling the truth just now.”

_What?_

“It’s a secret organization though, so there’s no hope of you ever finding it. And even if you did...” An ominous grin stretched across the liar’s face “Well, you probably wouldn’t live long enough to tell anybody.”

Although he didn’t really believe his words, a shiver went down Saihara’s spine.

Secret or not, the possibility of an unknown organization like that existing was practically nonexistent. As a detective, Saihara would know of it if it did, or at least his uncle would. Ouma was definitely lying. He had to be... right?

Once again, they were both silent. However, not for long. Upon finishing his meal, Ouma spoke again.

“Is there anything else you wanted to ask? Recess won’t last much longer, you know.”

“I suppose, there’s one more thing...”

Saihara recomposed himself before asking.

“Why did you choose to sit with me here?”

And just like that, the grin on Ouma’s face was wiped clean, his expression switching to a blank one.

“...Isn’t it obvious?”

**_Ding dong_ **

_Huh?_

That sound. That was the school bell just now. Recess was over.

Every student in the room got up at once and walked out of the cafeteria, including the purple haired leader.

And for the third time, Saihara was left with an empty seat and numerous questions. It was almost comical. With nothing else to do, he got up and followed the crowd of students.

*

Like in most other schools, homeroom teachers at Hope’s Peak had a purpose other than just holding homeroom, they also taught other subjects. For that reason, it was decided that two periods would be held on the first day of school. First would be homeroom and second would be the subject normally taught by that teacher. Class 79-B’s homeroom teacher was also in charge of PE, which is why all students in that class were told ahead of time to bring their PE uniforms.

As a student, Saihara was always near the top of his class. While he preferred subjects like math, biology, chemistry, and physics, he wasn’t bad at languages or artistic subjects either. He was smart, talented and a fast learner, but also a hard worker. All in all, he was a nearly perfect student who excelled in every subject... except PE.

*

With all of the seats which were previously arranged now removed, the gym appeared even larger and more spacious than before.

The bell echoed throughout the school for the second time, now signifying the beginning of class.

16 students, all wearing uniforms consisting of a plain white T-shirt and dark blue shorts, stood shoulder to shoulder, lined up in order of height, waiting for the teacher’s instructions.

They began with some light stretching which was routine for most schools and was about the only thing in PE Saihara knew how to do properly. He could’ve sworn that he heard someone complain about stretching being a “pain”. Who knew there would be someone even less athletic than him?

Once they were finished, the teacher told them that, since it was only their first day, they could just play a simple game of basketball and call it a day. After receiving a few disapproving looks from the students, she followed by saying that it was entirely optional, which came as a great relief to Saihara. He did feel a bit embarrassed, however, when he and the Ultimate Tennis Pro were the only guys to sit out. Even Kiibo, the Ultimate Robot, decided to play.

Half of the girls also chose not to participate. Saihara recognized them as the Ultimate Magician, Yumeno Himiko, Ultimate Inventor, Iruma Miu, Ultimate Cosplayer, Shirogane Tsumugi and Ultimate Child Caregiver, Harukawa Maki. 

The remaining ten players were split into teams of five and started playing.

Not particularly interested in the game, Saihara let his thoughts drift to wherever. First they landed on his childhood, then on the grim memory of the case that got him into Hope’s Peak, and lastly, on a certain purple haired boy who had the power to completely _captivate_ the detective and make him want to learn more about the leader and seek the truth behind his lies.

*

At last, the second period was over.

The students changed back into their regular uniforms, got their bags from the classroom and were free to leave for the day.

Saihara was surrounded by the sound of footsteps and idle chatter as he walked back towards the train station. Just as he was ready to let himself get enveloped in his own thoughts once again, he felt something, or rather, _someone_ tugging on his sleeve.

His lips curved into a gentle, knowing smile as he turned around to face the culprit. As expected, he was met with a pair of familiar, mesmerizing purple eyes and a playful smirk.

His smile not faltering, the detective let out a sigh and greeted the boy in a silvery voice.

“Hey, Ouma-kun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn’t want to have to spend another chapter on the first day of school which is why this one ended up being a bit longer than usual.
> 
> Btw, I wrote this chapter in the middle of studying for my exams so that’s why it took so long for me to finish it.


	4. Flourish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _”Saihara isn’t a morning person, he never was. Regardless of whether or not he goes to sleep early, the following morning is always a pain for him. Knowing this, even he struggled with deducing what was so different about today.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I’m actually on time with this one. *slow claps*

**Tuesday, April 11th**

Sunlight filtered through the lacy, white curtains, lighting up the detective’s modest, but tidy room and painting the pale beige walls with a warm, pinkish tint. Melodious, distant chirping of birds kept the bedroom from falling completely silent up until a much less pleasant sound of an alarm filled the air.

Saihara rushed into the room, finally turning off the peace disturbing noise. Normally he would still be lying on his bed, probably lazily kicking his legs from under the covers in annoyance of being woken up and forced to face another day. Today, however, he was up on his feet long before the bothersome alarm even sounded itself. What was more, he was already wearing his school uniform and holding his book bag, ready to go.

Saihara isn’t a morning person, he never was. Regardless of whether or not he goes to sleep early, the following morning is always a pain for him. Knowing this, even he struggled with deducing what was so different about today.

Eventually ruling it as just a coincidence, he walked out of the once again quiet bedroom. Before leaving the house, however, he dropped by the kitchen to grab a small, plastic container. Inside of it was a humble lunch he threw together the night before. Stuffing the container into his bag brought memories of his middle school days when making his own school lunch was a common occurrence.

With quick steps, he left the kitchen and walked up to and out the front door of the house after reflexively saying goodbye to his still sleeping uncle.

The walk to the train station felt just as short as it did yesterday. The wait for the train to arrive, however, was noticeably longer since he was at the station much earlier than the previous day.

Without knowing what prompted him to do so, Saihara took a look at the people around him, careful not to spend too much time focusing on anyone in particular as to avoid it coming off as staring. He was startled to notice a couple of familiar faces in the crowd. He immediately connected them to two students in his class. Those students were Ouma and Akamatsu Kaede, the Ultimate Pianist. 

Saihara knew for a fact that Ouma lived close by since they both got on and off the train at the same station yesterday, but seeing the pianist there took him completely by surprise. The two of his classmates even seemed to be talking to each other, the blonde looking somewhat annoyed.

A slight uneasiness spread throughout the detective’s body. The feeling was faint but just strong enough to make him uncomfortable. He couldn’t look away from the pair. ‘Not spending too much time focusing on anyone in particular’ went completely out the window. By the time he realized that he was staring daggers at them, he was already noticed by the leader who then walked up to him with a bright grin, leaving Akamatsu in the middle of their conversation.

“Saihara-chan!” Ouma called out in a loud and cheerful voice, seemingly oblivious to any attention he might draw to them. He wrapped his arms around the taller.

Flustered by the sudden contact, making him unable to speak, Saihara produced a noise similar to one of a scared animal while struggling to keep his balance. He hurriedly but carefully freed himself from the shorter’s tight grip.

The pianist walked over in a huff.

“Are you his friend?” The irritation in her voice was unmistakable. Ouma definitely upset her in some way.

 _Friend._ In all honesty, Saihara wasn’t sure. Were they friends? They definitely weren’t strangers... Acquaintances? He didn’t want to put distance between the two of them, but he wondered if it was too soon to call himself Ouma’s friend.

From the way Ouma hugged him earlier, it seemed like he probably wouldn’t mind... Hoping that was the case, Saihara nodded.

For a brief moment, the detective thought he saw actual sparkles in Ouma’s eyes.

Akamatsu continued, her annoyance becoming increasingly apparent.

“Then tell him to mind his own business!”

Though he was taken aback by the girl’s harsh words, It came as no surprise to Saihara that most people would find Ouma’s lies and overbearing personality irritating. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what was it that the liar said that provoked the pianist so much.

However, he didn't want to bother the already agitated girl by asking questions. He wouldn't have had time to do so anyway, as that was when the train finally arrived. The heavy metal doors opened and everyone waiting stepped inside.

Saihara was once again able to snatch a seat, this time by a kind but fatigued looking woman. Ouma, however, wasn't so lucky and ended up having to stand pressed against a bunch of strangers. Before the short leader was obscured from Saihara’s view, the detective caught a glimpse of his expression, and for the first time, Ouma seemed genuinely uncomfortable, reminding Saihara that he too, was human.

As the boy was trying to get comfortable in his seat, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He instinctively glanced at the woman next to him but was surprised to find her facing away from him.

”Saihara-kun!”

He flinched upon hearing his name be called. The voice definitely came from behind him. He turned around to see the Ultimate Pianist seated behind him.

She flashed a quick smile before speaking.

”I’m sorry about how I acted back there. I hope your first impression of me isn't too terrible. Haha...”

“Oh, n-no! Don’t worry about it...”

Akamatsu leaned back in her seat, her expression relaxing slightly and smile seeming more genuine than before. She placed her hands in her lap and continued.

“What Ouma-kun said just rubbed me the wrong way.”

Saihara stayed silent, eager to finally learn what happened.

“I went up to him to say hello and before I knew it, he started spouting nonsense about how I should join some evil organization of his….” She let out a held in sigh. “Why would he lie to my face like that? I mean, there’s no way an organization like that really exists.”

Saihara wanted to agree with her but found himself unable to. Did a part of him want to believe in the liar?

The blonde suddenly straightened her back, now looking much more confident.

“No, I shouldn’t be saying stuff like that about my classmate. I should at least try to understand Ouma-kun.”

Although he was surprised by Akamatsu’s sudden change in attitude, Saihara couldn't help but think she was right. He should also put more effort into understanding Ouma, as a detective _and_ as a friend.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

*

The train slowly came to a halt and the doors opened.

Saihara and Akamatsu got off, along with many other Hope’s Peak students from different classes. The two of them waited until another smaller figure joined them.

”Geez, could that guy smell any worse?” Ouma approached them with a disgusted look on his face and the pair couldn't help but chuckle at his misfortune.

The group talked about this and that on their way to school, with Ouma taking occasional jabs at the detective and pianist, and the two simply laughing it off. Overall, the mood took a complete 180 from their conversation before the train ride.

Soon, they were walking through the clean halls of Hope’s Peak Academy, making their way to their classroom. Once they reached their destination, the trio took the same seats they did yesterday. And somehow, sitting next to the leader felt just a bit less awkward. 

Saihara found himself unable to pay attention to his classes that day. It’s hard to focus on studies, after all, when what interests you the most is right next to you and yet, out of reach.

*

Days flew by like they always do and before Saihara knew it, the weekend was here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. I’ll be uploading the next one fairly soon so don’t worry.
> 
> But yeah I’m kind of on the fence about this one. Who would’ve thought that Kaede would be so hard to write?
> 
> Only a bit longer until we get to the meat of things. I can’t wait.
> 
> ALSO. Exams are finally over!!


	5. In Spring, With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Before the detective had even processed his words, Ouma was mere inches away from him, standing on his tiptoes. Saihara felt his palms begin to sweat as Ouma brought his face closer to his."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm alive i promise.

**Sunday, April 16th**

Saihara was awakened by a buzzing sound. Almost certain that he had turned off his alarm due it being his day off, he begrudgingly sat up in his bed and began looking for the source of the noise.

As it turned out, the buzz _did_ come from his phone, but instead of an alarm, it was caused by numerous text messages, all from the same unknown number.

His vision still blurry, Saihara squinted at his phone in an attempt to read the messages.

**Unknown:** Good morning, Saihara-chan!!! :D  <3  
 **Unknown:** Missed me~??  
 **Unknown:** Hey answer mee  
 **Unknown:** Hey  
 **Unknown:** hEY  
 **Unknown:** HEU  
 **Unknown:** HEY***

By this point, Saihara had a pretty good idea as to who the sender was. He hovered his fingers above the keyboard to reply but found himself at a complete loss for words. The sheer ridiculousness of the messages had him somewhere between laughter and annoyance.

He took a deep breath and typed out a response.

**Saihara:** Ouma-kun? Is that you?

He was surprised to receive an immediate reply.

**Unknown:** Saihara-chan!!! :DDD  
 **Saihara:** I’ll take that as a yes.

He quickly saved the liar’s number into his phone.

**Saihara:** Anyways, how did you get my number?  
**Ouma:** You shouldn’t underestimate me. Digging it up was easy with MY resources.

Saihara could only stare blankly at the screen. He couldn’t help but briefly rethink the possibility of Ouma’s organization really existing. His thoughts were interrupted by another message.

**Ouma:** Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m texting you?  
 **Saihara:** It wasn’t just to mess with me?  
 **Ouma:** So mean!!  >:O  
 **Saihara:** Sorry, sorry… So what’s the real reason?  
 **Ouma:** I’m ordering you to spend time with me today!

Saihara wasn’t sure what he was expecting but _this_ certainly wasn’t it. Well, he didn’t have any reason to decline the invitation and, although he wasn’t sure why, a part of him really did want to see the boy outside of just school.

**Saihara:** Sure.  
 **Ouma:** :D

*

Saihara adjusted his hat as he walked towards the designated meet-up spot, a small, outdoor cafe not too far from where both he and Ouma lived.

Unavoidably, he was surrounded by a lot of people, causing him to momentarily wonder if he should've stayed home after all. However, all doubt simply melted away when he saw the leader sitting in the cafe. The boy was staring off into space, meaning he probably hasn't spotted Saihara yet. The peaceful, almost innocent look on his face resembled the one he had when they first met.

Now more relaxed, the detective approached him. He pulled out a chair and sat across from Ouma who raised his head in response. The shorter immediately flashed a playful smile to which Saihara returned a demure one.

However, Ouma’s smile quickly dropped, his expression turning into a pout.

“You’re late! I should have my subordinates execute you for that.”

“Ah, but… I’m early.”

Saihara’s protests were completely ignored as that was when the waiter came to take their order.

After a few minutes of small talk between the leader and detective, the waiter came back carrying Saihara’s coffee and Ouma’s grape juice. The two thanked him before going back to their conversation.

“So, Saihara-chan’s a detective, right?”

The taller shook his head.

“I’m just an apprentice.”

For just a moment, the other boy seemed confused.

“Still though, I bet you’ve seen a looot of blood and gore.”

“No, not really. I mostly deal with runaways and missing pets, not murders.”

“Huuhh? How’d a pet detective become an Ultimate?”

Saihara looked at his feet and sighed before bringing his gaze back up and speaking in a stern voice.

“There was one murder case.”

And so, he began to tell the story of the case that got him into Hope’s Peak. It was a story he did not remember fondly, a story he would rather forget, a story he _couldn’t_ forget. And he was telling it to Ouma.

_Why?_  
Why was he bearing his soul to Ouma of all people?  
He didn’t know. He didn’t understand.  
All he knew was that he was finally getting it off his chest and it felt good.

But what’s Ouma going to think? What’s he going to say, to do? Will he... laugh?  
But he didn’t.

He smiled.   
It wasn’t teasing. It wasn’t malicious. It was warm. Warm enough to put Saihara’s heart at ease.  
So he smiled too.

*

As the two walked away from the cafe after paying for their drinks, Saihara caught himself sneaking glances at Ouma.

Somehow, his view of the leader has changed yet again. And all from a single smile. But to him, that smile was worth more than a thousand empty words of encouragement.

However, possibly due to his detective nature, Saihara couldn't prevent doubts from forming in his mind. 

After all,   
_Ouma is a liar._

That very fact is what drew Saihara to him in the first place. He was curious to uncover what lies behind his mask. He wanted to get to know him, the real him, the real Ouma Kokichi. And Ouma Kokichi was, indeed, a liar. So how could he ever be sure that a liar’s smile is genuine? But even so...

He wanted to believe that it was sincere, that it was real. He wanted to believe that the warmth he felt was real.

At that moment, a hand firmly gripped his wrist, yanking him back into reality.

Taken by surprise, Saihara stared ahead in confusion. In front of him stood Ouma, looking up at him with puffed out cheeks.

”No fair! I wanted Saihara-chan’s eyes to be on me today!”

”Oh, um... Sorry.” The response came out clumsy and muttered.

Seemingly angry, Ouma further furrowed his eyebrows but then suddenly relaxed his expression, letting go of Saihara’s wrist.

”Fine! I’ll just have to make you pay attention to me!”

Before the detective had even processed his words, Ouma was mere inches away from him, standing on his tiptoes. Saihara felt his palms begin to sweat as Ouma brought his face closer to his. 

Despite his efforts to think straight, Saihara found himself unable to when he felt the leader’s lips press against his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok this took WAY longer than i expected. i'm sorry. i literally wrote like 90% of this chapter in one day and then it somehow took me weeks to write the rest. also it ended up being much shorter than i wanted. i'll try to have the next one out asap. again, sorry.


End file.
